My Version of For Better or Worse with SPOILER ALERTS
by Beledi1113
Summary: SPOILER ALERT for those who want to remain spoiler free. Given my proclivity for reading spoilers, this is how I would mess up the Caskett wedding and take care of the wedding dress, not that I have anything against it, but it's a little too haute couture for me, even if it does cost 26K (did they really spend that much on it or is that retail?) and Stana looks great in it.
1. Chapter 1

**For Better or Worse – My Version – Spoiler Alert for Season Finale**

Summary – SPOILER ALERT – Given my proclivity for reading spoilers, this is how I would mess up Castle and Beckett's wedding and take care of the wedding dress – not that I have anything against it, but it's a little too haute couture for my tastes, even if it does cost $26K (did they really spend that much on it or is that retail?) and Stana looks great in it.

Author's Note – Marlowe and Miller may go the same way, they may not. Hopefully there won't be a cliff hanger for the summer, but there might be. You just never know.

Disclaimer – Don't own Castle; Marlowe, ABC, and Disney do. Just writing for fun and because I have these weird plot bunnies that pop into my head.

**Chapter 1 – The Start to A Perfect Day…Duh duh duh…**

The day had started perfectly and one could only describe Katherine Houghton Beckett as being giddy, an emotion that few people would ever attach to the hard-as-nails detective.

Lanie and Alexis had slept over at her apartment last night, and they had giggled until the wee hours of the morning, Alexis stuffing her pillow over her ears several times to try to drown out the conversation with accompanying "Ewww – gross – that's my dad you're talking about."

The limo had picked them up promptly at 10 am to take them to get their hair, nails, and makeup done, Martha joining them at that point, saying that Richard was as anxious as Beckett was and would meet them at the church for the 6 pm nuptials.

Now she was dressed in the elegant wedding gown that Matilda had given her, her hair partially swept up, curling cascading down her back, the veil firmly attached in place.

Martha, Lanie, and Alexis had just left to line up for the processional and her father would be here in a minute to walk her down the aisle.

Beckett stared at the ring on her finger, feeling the butterflies in her stomach and wondering if Castle felt the same way.

She wanted to call him and find out, but they had decided to not see each other the day of the wedding. In fact, the last time she saw Castle was yesterday morning when he dropped her off at her apartment after they had had breakfast together one last time as single people.

Beckett gazed at her reflection in the mirror, unable to keep the smile off of her face, not wanting to keep the smile off of her face.

After all they had been through, had survived, they were getting married tonight. In less than half an hour, she would be married to the man of her dreams, her one and done. In less than 4 hours, they would be on their honeymoon, exploring their new relationship as husband and wife.

The knock on the door shook her from her reverie and she ran her hand down the dress one more time before turning.

"It's okay, Dad, it's open," she said and then looked back in the mirror.

The smile turned to a frown as several policemen stepped into the room.

She could see Lanie, Alexis, Martha, Gates, and her father anxiously hovering in the hallway outside.

"Katherine Houghton Beckett?" one of the policemen asked.

"Yes?" said Beckett.

"You are under arrest for harboring and aiding Rogan O'Leary," the officer replied.

Beckett swallowed thickly and looked away, anger and embarrassment crashing through her. She should have known better than to trust him.

"Please remove the veil and turn around," the policeman commanded.

Lifting shaking hands to her hair, Beckett removed the veil from her hair and then turned so that her back was facing him.

The officer handcuffed her hands together and then led her out of the room, the other office taking her other arm, careful not to trip on the dress.

"Let Castle know what's going on," Beckett said, fighting not to cry. "Tell him I'm sorry."

"Katie bug, don't worry," her father said. "I've called my lawyer and he's on his way."

"We'll get this straightened out in no time," said Gates as the police put Beckett in the back of the waiting squad car.

# # # # # # # #

Castle nervously checked his reflection in the mirror one more time as Espo and Ryan walked into the room.

"Hey, guys, is it time? Is the preacher here?" he asked, trying not to smile too broadly, trying to not appear too anxious.

"Uh, about that—" Ryan started, looking back towards the door.

"Yeah," said Espo, the same deer in the headlight expression on his face.

"Guys, this isn't funny," said Castle, suddenly becoming serious.

"Beckett's been arrested," Ryan blurted out.

Castle looked at them and opened and closed his mouth several times before swallowing and shaking his head. "Guys, this really isn't funny."

"Uh, they just took her out in handcuffs," said Espo. "Her dad's called a lawyer to meet them. Something about helping a fugitive named Rogan O'Leary."

"Beckett – helping a fugitive? No way," said Castle, shaking his head, slightly laughing. "You're just messing with me."

"I swear on my nana's grave," said Ryan, raising his hand.

"Serious as a heart attack, bro," replied Espo.

Castle stared at them for a minute more and then pushed past them and half walked, half ran down the hallway to where Alexis, Lanie, and Martha were standing. Jim Beckett stood a few feet away, talking in hushed tones with Gates.

"What happened? What's going on?" Castle demanded.

"Mr. Castle," said Gates, walking up to him. "I assure you that we will get to the bottom of this as quickly as possible."

"Then it's true? Kate was arrested?" Castle asked, stunned, looking in disbelief at the people standing around him. "But why?"

"Rogan O'Leary is wanted in Atlantic City for 'scamming a casino out of millions' and it seems that he used Beckett's credit card to book a flight out of town yesterday evening, hence the harboring and abetting charges," said Gates.

"No, no," said Castle. "That's not Beckett. That can't be right. I've got to talk to her."

"They've taken her to central booking," said Gates, "but I pulled some favors and arranged for a quick meeting."

"Richard, go," said Martha. "We'll take care of things here, discretely of course."

Castle nodded and then he, Espo, Ryan, Jim, and Gates headed for the waiting limo.

# # # # # # # #


	2. Chapter 2 - Explanations

**For Better or Worse – My Version – Spoiler Alert for Season Finale**

Summary – SPOILER ALERT – Given my proclivity for reading spoilers, this is how I would mess up Castle and Beckett's wedding and take care of the wedding dress – not that I have anything against it, but it's a little too haute couture for my tastes, even if it does cost $26K (did they really spend that much on it or is that retail?) and Stana looks great in it.

Author's Note – Thanks for all the reviews and followers. You are awesome. And since Jim Beckett is in the first part of this chapter, I'm referring to Kate Beckett as Kate (which is really hard because I'm use to calling her Beckett) and Jim Beckett as Jim to avoid the confusion of the 2 Becketts in that scene. And I'm making up the background story, so this is AU at this point – just my vivid imagination at work here. Rated T for language.

Disclaimer – Don't own Castle; Marlowe, ABC, and Disney do. Just writing for fun and stress relief.

**Chapter 2 – Explanations (And the Death of the Dress)**

Castle, Jim Beckett, and Jim's lawyer Mr. Preston had to wait much longer to see Kate than Castle thought was necessary and he understood why immediately when Kate was escorted into the interrogation room by a female police officer.

Her hair was in disarray; a steri-strip closed a small gash by her eyebrow over her swelling and blackening right eye; white tissue was stuffed into her right bruised nostril; and another steri-strip closed a small cut on her bottom left lip which was surrounded by a large bruise that continued down her chin and onto her throat. She wore an orange top over her wedding dress, her right arm still covered in the encrusted fabric, but her left arm bare, with another bruise forming. The front of the dress was streaked with blood, the tulle having been torn off at some point.

"My god, Kate!" exclaimed Castle, jumping to his feet at the sight of his fiancé. "What happened?"

Beckett grinned at him slightly as the police officer removed Kate's handcuffs and then walked out of the room. "A suspect in booking recognized me and started a small riot." She wearily sat down at the table across from them. "It took several police officers to stop it."

"Have they checked you out?" asked Jim, alarmed at his daughter's condition.

"Yeah," Kate nodded and blinked several times before taking a deep breath. "But they still need to take pictures. I'm afraid my dress is ruined though," she said looking down at it.

"That's okay," said Castle, shaking his head, taking her hand gently in his. "Kate, what's this all about?" he asked worriedly.

Kate shook her head. "I don't know, Rick."

"The charges are harboring and aiding a wanted felon, a Mr. Rogan O'Leary," said Preston, opening a file he had taken out of his briefcase. "Ms. Beckett, I have to ask you if there are any truths to those charges."

Kate looked down at her hands and then back up. "I didn't realize he was wanted; otherwise, I would have called the police immediately."

"Rogan O'Leary – where do I know that name from?" asked Jim.

"So you know the fugitive?" asked Preston.

"Yes," nodded Kate. "Ah, we met at my Aunt Theresa's the summer after my mother died—"

"Son of a bitch," Jim swore suddenly. "I knew that name sounded familiar."

"We lived together for a while that summer until I came back to New York to go to college," Kate continued, not looking at Castle.

"And have you had any recent contact with Mr. O'Leary?" Preston asked.

Kate nodded and answered quietly. "He was waiting at my apartment building Friday morning when Castle dropped me off. He said that he had seen my engagement announcement in the paper some months ago and was in the area on business and wanted to make sure I was marrying the right guy." She frowned slightly. "He seemed genuinely concerned."

"Did you realize that his business was scamming one of the Atlantic City casinos?" Preston continued.

"No, but it wouldn't surprise me. Rogan – Mr. O'Leary – was – is a hustler who is incapable of telling the truth," Kate replied. "I just didn't realize it fast enough."

Preston nodded. "One of the charges is that you used your credit card to buy him a ticket to Los Angeles yesterday. The ticket was bought online. Is that true?"

Kate shook her head. "No, no – I didn't do that." Her brow furrowed in thought. "He must have stolen my credit card."

"Kate, how did he get your credit card?" Castle asked. "You didn't have your purse with you Friday morning."

Kate swallowed and then looked at Castle. "Because I invited him up to my apartment. It was a personal conversation and I didn't want to talk out in the open."

"And how long was he in your apartment?" Preston asked.

Kate shook her head. "Not long – 10 or 15 minutes at the most. We talked for a few minutes and then he asked if we could have a drink for old-time sake before he left." She looked away. "That must have been when he stole my card – or at least my number – when I went into the kitchen to get a bottle of wine and 2 glasses."

Preston nodded. "Well, at this point, it's a case of 'he said, she said'."

Castle looked at Preston sharply. "So this O'Leary is in custody?"

Preston nodded. "He was picked up at the airport boarding the flight last night. It took a while to get an arrest warrant for Ms. Beckett because it seems several judges were unavailable because they were your wedding guests."

Kate looked at Castle again. "Rick, I'm so sorry. I don't know what I was thinking. When I saw him, I should have just called the police."

"Kate, it's okay," said Castle. "We'll figure this out."

They all looked up as a man in a suit walked into the room.

"Ms. Beckett, you've been cleared of all charges thanks to the tenacity of your partners," he said simply. "O'Leary has admitted that he stole your credit card and that you are not involved in any of his actions. We will still need to take pictures before you go for evidence about the incident in booking though."

# # # # # # # # #

Another hour and a half passed before the pictures were taken and Kate could be processed out. During that time, she had been given the standard jail clothing to change into because the wedding dress was now evidence and couldn't be taken from the building. Looking at the destruction that had been wrought on it, she doubted that it could be salvaged anyway, much like their perfect wedding.

By the time they were ready to leave, Paula had put damage control in place to take care of the reporters waiting in front of both the police building and the loft. At this point, the only comment was that there was no comment on the fiasco of the Castle-Beckett wedding, but pictures of Beckett being escorted from the venue in handcuffs had already hit the online news sources.

The wedding party was waiting for them at the loft and there were quick hugs all around before the group dispersed.

When Castle and Kate were alone in their bedroom, he pulled her into a tight hug.

"I'm so sorry, Castle," she whispered into his chest. "That was stupid – I was stupid. That should have never happened."

"No, no – it's okay," Castle said, rubbing her back lightly.

Kate pulled away and wiped her eye carefully with the back of her hand. "I think I'm just going to take a shower," she said hesitantly.

"Sure," said Castle as he gently kissed her.

"Alone," she said quietly and then kissed him gently on the cheek. She turned, walked into the bathroom, and locked the door.

# # # # # # # # #

Staring at herself in the bathroom mirror, Beckett slowly removed the top to reveal more bruises on her collarbones and the side of her ribcage.

The fight had started so suddenly that she had been caught off guard again and it had taken the police officers several minutes to pull the suspect off of her. By that time, the woman had gotten in several good punches. Beckett spent most of the fight trying to protect herself but had landed a few punches herself.

Beckett turned on the shower to the highest setting and then slowly undid what remained of her up do, carefully setting the bobby pins on the counter as the rest of the curls fell around her shoulders.

This definitely wasn't the wedding day she had imagined and she didn't even have her wedding dress anymore as an heirloom for some future Castle-Beckett bride.

She looked over at the toilet and smiled wistfully as she sat on the closed lid, gathering the orange top to her and hunching over. At least Martha had been good about training Castle to not only put the seat down but also to put the lid down when he finished.

It was then that the tears started.

# # # # # # # # #

Castle stood quietly outside the bathroom door, listening to the shower run, but he could also swear that he heard Beckett crying. He thought that they were past this and wanted so badly to bust the door down and rush in to comfort her, but this was Beckett, and sometimes she just needed to lick her wounds in private.

He quickly changed clothes and lay down on his side of the bed to wait for her.

# # # # # # # # #

A little while later, Castle stirred from the light slumber he was in when Beckett quietly opened the door to the bathroom and then walked to the bed and slid in, pulling the sheets and comforter over her.

"Is there anything I can do?" he asked softly, turning on his side to face her as she lay on her back and stared up at the ceiling.

"Do you have a time machine?" Beckett replied quietly. "So I can go back to Friday and change everything?"

"No, sorry," Castle replied and then waited a few moments before beginning, "Kate—"

"Rick, I'm tired – can we just talk later?" Beckett asked as she rolled over on her side, facing away from him.

"Sure," Castle replied. "But if you need anything, I'm right here."

Beckett nodded her head. "I know."

Castle waited a few more moments and then rolled over on his opposite side to face away from Beckett.

Even though they were practically touching, they were farther away from each other than they had ever been before.

# # # # # # # # #


	3. Chapter 3 - Revelations

**For Better or Worse – My Version – Spoiler Alert for Season Finale**

Summary – SPOILER ALERT – Given my proclivity for reading spoilers, this is how I would mess up Castle and Beckett's wedding and take care of the wedding dress – not that I have anything against it, but it's a little too haute couture for my tastes, even if it does cost $26K (did they really spend that much on it or is that retail?) and Stana looks great in it.

Author's Note – Thanks for all the reviews and followers. You are awesome. And I'm making up the background story, so this is AU but based on some of the things that have been brought up in previous episodes of Castle. Rated strong T for language and situations.

Disclaimer – Don't own Castle; Marlowe, ABC, and Disney do. Just writing for fun and stress relief.

**Chapter 3 – Revelations For Better For Worse**

The smell of fresh coffee roused Beckett from the sleep she had finally succumbed to and she rolled over in the bed to find that Castle wasn't there.

She groaned as she sat up slowly, feeling the ache in her body. Well, she had been hit by a small freight train yesterday, the woman easily outweighing her by 100 pounds with the added strength of being high on something.

Beckett snagged the robe from the back of the chair and wrapped it around her as she walked out into the living area to find Castle intently staring at the coffee maker.

"You know a watched pot never boils," she said as she walked up to the counter.

"Yeah, those pesky pots," said Castle, looking at her with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "They never do what you want them to do."

"Thanks for understanding last night," Beckett said quietly as she stepped in to hug him. "I needed some time to sort things out. And I know that was hard for you," she said, placing a hand on his chest.

Castle shifted so that he could hug her in return and kiss the side of her head. "Mother and Alexis are out for the day. And I made some fresh coffee."

Beckett stepped back and took his hand, looking at him in the eyes. "Babe, we need to talk."

"This sounds serious," Castle replied, frowning.

Beckett swallowed and nodded. "It is. It's probably a talk we should have had a while ago."

Castle nodded. "How about I pour us some coffee and we talk on the couch?"

"That sounds good," said Beckett.

After they were seated on the couch, Castle waited for Beckett to take the lead, the same as he had done last night.

She stared into the fire in the fireplace for a while before starting.

"Rogan O'Leary was my first," she said simply, talking to her fiancée who happened to also be her best friend. "My first 'adult' love, my first almost everything.

"When I went through my wild-child phase, I did a lot of things, but I drew the line at sex, saying that I was saving myself for my one and done. When I met Rogan, I thought he hung the stars and the moon, and I would have done anything for him."

Castle nodded slowly. Most everyone had one of those in their past. Beckett had met his when they had investigated the murder at Kyra's wedding. Now it was only fair that he meet Beckett's first real love, no matter what the circumstances had been.

"How long after your mother's death did you meet him?" he asked quietly.

"Mom died in January and I wasn't taking very good care of myself and got sick with the flu about two months later. I passed out at a store and woke up in the hospital," Beckett frowned as she remembered. "Dad was drinking heavily so he wasn't any help. Aunt Theresa came and got me, and I moved in with her for a while so she could take care of me.

"I saw Rogan around town and he noticed me also. He seemed so friendly, so approachable, and everyone in town seemed to like him.

"At first, we spent hours just talking. He found out I was in pre-law at Stanford and said he was hoping to go to law school at Yale, so we spent hours discussing the law. He knew I loved to read and brought me books that we discussed.

"And his life was similar to mine – his father had been killed by a drunk driver a few years before and his mother was an alcoholic, so he knew what I was going through. Sometimes we spent hours talking about how unfair life was, sometimes he spent hours just holding me while I cried for my mother. He never told me that everything would be okay, like everyone else did, just that he'd be there for me.

"Anyway, I fell for him hard – head over heels – because I was so desperate for someone to love me again after my mother died. He did the right things, he said the right things, and we moved in together in May, much to Aunt Theresa's dismay. My dad even met him on one of his better days when he came to visit and told me that he didn't like him.

"But I told them in no uncertain terms that I was 19 and an adult and I knew what I was doing, so they could just keep their opinions to themselves."

Beckett closed her eyes and let out a breath. "He even proposed a couple of weeks later. He said it was him and me against the world and that we would be invincible. We got a marriage license and were headed to the court house to get married when he said he wanted to get me a ring. Rogan sent me ahead and I waited for him, but he never showed up.

"I was certain he had been in an accident because he would never be late on purpose, so I went back to our apartment only to find that most of our stuff gone and a note on the table from him.

"He said that he had borrowed money from the wrong people after his dad died and couldn't pay them back, which is why he left home, but they found him. They took everything that was valuable from the apartment – my Powerbook, my jewelry, anything that could have been sold quickly for money. He even emptied out our joint bank account where I was keeping the money I had made from modeling. And he said that he couldn't be with me anymore because it wasn't safe and if they found out about me, they would kill me…or make me pay off his debt."

Beckett wiped her eyes. "And I believed him for a while until I started talking to the people around town. They said he had just gotten there a couple of weeks before I did, so no one really knew him, just that he just seemed so friendly and likable. But then things started disappearing when he was around – books, flowers, CDs, perfume – all of the things he was bringing to me. And when I looked back, all the signs were there. When we went out, he never had his wallet with him, so I paid for everything. My name was on the lease. He always had an excuse for not meeting my family. "

Beckett pressed her lips together in a thin line, wincing slightly at the tug on her lower lip, looking away from Castle.

"I was so ashamed of what happened that I didn't tell anyone. Hell – I was in the top 10 of my high school graduating class – I was pre-law at Stanford – how could I let this happen? How could he have made me think that he loved me when it was all a scam?" she said angrily.

"I felt so embarrassed that I just told everyone we had had a fight and he had left town. Anyway, I didn't want to ask Aunt Theresa or my dad for the money to break the lease on the apartment because I had been so stubborn about Rogan, so I worked 3 part-time jobs that summer to pay it off before I moved back in with my dad in the fall."

Castle put a hand to her cheek. "Kate, smart women can make stupid decisions when it comes to love. I know – I've had experience with that."

Beckett smiled at him. "Really – being a woman or scamming women?"

Castle shook his head, backtracking. "No, no, not like that. My mother's last husband swindled her out of all her money and then left."

Castle would always remember the day he and Alexis arrived home from school to find Martha waiting for them in the lobby of their building with just one suitcase and a carryon. He knew something was wrong because she rarely traveled so lightly. She said she missed her granddaughter, but that evening, over a glass a wine, she told Castle what had happened and he offered to let her move in with them, no questions asked. It was the least he could do for everything she had done for him.

Beckett settled back on the couch, pulling the robe tighter around her. "And the worst part is that he was the first person I ever slept with. He made me feel so safe, so secure, that I gave him everything he wanted without question – I wasn't even careful because this was supposed to be forever." She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "That summer, after he had left and I was working those jobs, I was late several times, so I'd always run to the drug store to get a pregnancy test to make sure I wasn't pregnant. I don't know what I would have done if I had been."

Beckett let out a shaky sigh. "When my mother died – and after Rogan – I swore I'd never let anyone in again, that I'd never be that vulnerable again, which is why I always had one foot out the door in any relationship, why I always found a reason to end the relationship before it became too serious. I never trusted anyone again to not disappoint me.

"The funny thing is that after I became a cop, I ran a background check on Rogan." Beckett frowned slightly. "Part of what he told me was true – his father was killed by a drunk driver and his mother did become an alcoholic, and he did borrow money from the wrong people. But he also had a rap sheet by that time for swindling people.

"Then he showed up on Friday saying that he had seen our engagement announcement in the paper a couple of months back and wanted to check on me to make sure I was okay. He said he was sorry he ever left. And I was so happy about our wedding that I let my guard down for just a second, and look what happened," Beckett said, shaking her head. "I ruined our wedding – you must be so disappointed in me."

"No, no, I'm not," Castle responded, taking her hands in his. "It just proves that you're human like the rest of us. And, Kate, I can't promise to never disappoint you because it's me we're talking about and I will disappoint you at some point. I'll say something stupid; I'll do something stupid; I'll look at another woman. But I can promise to always love you for better or worse."

Beckett nodded, smiling teary-eyed at Castle. "And I love you, babe, for better or worse."

"Hold that thought," Castle said as he got up from the couch and ran into his office, coming back with a toy soldier in his hand. He then switched on the stereo to their song and turned it down so that it was playing softly in the background.

"Here," he said, taking Beckett's hand and dragging her over to the kitchen counter where he stood the soldier. "Just pretend he's Father Mulcahy."

He then grabbed the bride and groom topper that Martha had removed from the wedding cake so that it could be used again, the food from the reception having been sent to a homeless shelter and the flowers to local hospitals rather than being wasted.

Castle sat the bride in front of Beckett and the groom in front of himself, and then picked up the soldier. "Dearly beloved," he said in a southern accent as Beckett rolled her eyes at him, "we are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony."

"Castle, I'm pretty sure Father Mulchay didn't have a southern accent," Beckett whispered.

"Shhh," said Castle.

"Do you, Richard Edgar Alexander Rogers Castle, take this woman, Katherine Houghton Beckett, to be your lawfully wedded wife?" the soldier said.

Castle straightened up and put the groom in front of his lips. "I do."

He then play-walked the soldier in front of the bride and quirked an eyebrow at Beckett.

She smiled and picked up the bride.

"Do you, Katherine Houghton Beckett, take this man, Richard Edgar Alexander Rogers Castle, to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

Beckett nodded. "I do."

"Then repeat after me," said the soldier. "I, Richard Edgar Alexander Rogers Castle…"

"I, Richard Edgar Alexander Rogers Castle…"

"Take thee, Katherine Houghton Beckett…"

"Take thee, Katherine Houghton Beckett…"

"To be my wedded wife, no matter how many times she's been scammed in the past by some low-life—"

"Castle!" Beckett shrieked, laughing at him.

"To be my wedded wife," the soldier started again, "to have and to hold from this day forward…"

"To be my wedded wife," said the groom, "to have and to hold from this day forward…"

"For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health…"

"For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health…"

"To love and to cherish, till death do us part."

"To love and to cherish, till death do us part."

The soldier then turned to Beckett.

"Please repeat after me," said the soldier. "I, Katherine Houghton Beckett…"

"I, Katherine Houghton Beckett…"

"Take thee, Richard Edgar Alexander Rogers Castle …"

"Take thee, Richard Edgar Alexander Rogers Castle …"

"To be my wedded husband, no matter how many stupid things he will do in the future."

Beckett rolled her eyes at him again. "To be my wedded husband, no matter how many stupid things he will do in the future."

"To have and to hold from this day forward…"

"To have and to hold from this day forward…"

"For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health…"

"For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health…"

"To love and to cherish, till death do us part."

"To love and to cherish, till death do us part."

"Then by the powers vested in me by the toy US military, I now pronounce you husband and wife," said the soldier. "You may kiss the bride."

Castle set the soldier down on the counter and leaned forward to kiss Kate, careful of her cut lip. They both smiled as they touched their foreheads together and then kissed again.

"That was lovely," Beckett sighed.

"Yeah, too bad it's not legal though," replied Castle.

"Yeah," answered Beckett. "That would save a lot of time."

"And money," added Castle. "Good thing you just married a rich guy since we have to put on another wedding."

Beckett shook her head. "I don't think Matilda is going to give me another dress and you know how I hate dress shopping."

"Well, I have a suggestion – a destination wedding," said Castle as he wrapped her in his arms so they were facing the same direction. "They didn't say you couldn't leave town and we are leaving for Bali tonight for the honeymoon."

He waved his hand in front of them as if creating a scene. "Picture a nice beach some place, a lovely sunset, a local official, you in a bikini—"

"Castle," Beckett elbowed him in the ribs.

"Or that really cute robe that I like so well – you know, the one you wore when we were in the Hamptons."

Beckett snorted at him.

Castle shrugged. "Okay – maybe a dress you find at a local shop then, some flowers on your hair. I'm just saying it would save time and then we could have a reception in a couple of weeks, you know, when it's okay to take pictures so you don't look so 'brides gone wild' when you show them to our future children."

"Our future children?" Beckett chuckled. "Aren't you putting the cart before the horse?"

"What – no way!" exclaimed Castle. "We just had our kitchen wedding, so who's counting?"

Beckett leaned into Castle, resting her head on his shoulder. "Just us and an official, huh? No skyping, no video-conferencing?"

Castle nodded and kissed the side of her head. "Not if you don't want to," he answered. "It's your special day, Kate."

Beckett shook her head and turned around so that she faced him. "No, babe, it's our special day," she said as she kissed him. "And since we're already packed, maybe we can start on the honeymoon earlier," she said as she took his hand and led him into the bedroom.

# # # # # # # # #

The End


End file.
